Hotel Review

Falcon Manor is a beautiful country house hotel dating from 1841 that was constructed for Reverend Swale with money provided by his two grandmothers to befit his status in the local community.

Originally known as Ingfield Hall after the field in which it was built, this grand Tudor mansion has changed ownership several times.  It was purchased by the James’ Places Group in 2014 since when it has been tastefully refurbished whilst retaining its original features.

Location:

Settle is a picturesque small town in North Yorkshire which is easily accessible by road from both the north and south via the M6 motorway.  Leave the motorway at Junction 36 and head eastbound on the A65 until you reach the B6480 which takes you straight into Settle.

For guests arriving by train there are direct services from either Leeds or Carlisle main line stations with the hotel just a few minutes walk.

Arrival and check-in:

The impressive building stands in its own grounds on the edge of Settle town centre and has a large car park to the front of the hotel.

We arrived shortly after 3.00 p.m. and felt the country house charm as soon as we opened the original oak door and stepped inside the large entrance hall with its roaring fire, grand staircase and huge chandelier.

The reception desk is discretely tucked away in an alcove with two leather armchairs for guests to relax in whilst completing formalities.

We received a warm welcome from Gareth who was smartly attired in country tweeds and who had us checked in very quickly.  He then escorted us upstairs, assisting with our luggage and showing us into to our room on the first floor.

The Room:

We’d been impressed with the grandeur of the hotel’s entrance hall and thought things couldn’t get any better until we set eyes on our room.  It was everything that I would want a guest room to be.  With its high ceilings, Regency striped wallpaper, large bed dressed with the finest cotton bed linen and a goose down duvet it felt very cosy.

The feature I adored most though was the wonderful free standing slipper bath positioned in the bay window.  I couldn’t wait to enjoy a long soak and with L’Occitane luxurious toiletries to pamper myself with, I was in seventh heaven.

The view from the windows of the beautiful Yorkshire Dales countryside was stunning and I couldn’t think of a better place to spend a relaxing stay.  In addition to the slipper bath there was a well proportioned shower room with huge fluffy towels and even more L’Occitane toiletries.

We hadn’t come to do any work but should guests need to, the dressing table could easily be used as a desk as there were ample sockets to plug devices into.  A well stocked hospitality tray contained tea, coffee, hot chocolate and my favourite Border’s biscuits.

A large wall mounted TV was positioned at the foot of the bed and the wardrobe had plenty of hanging and storage space.

For a very old building it was lovely and warm and we slept snugly until our alarm woke us at 8.00 a.m.

Dining:

Dinner is served in either the restaurant or bar with the same menu available in both.  As a wedding was due to take place the following day the restaurant was being decorated for the event so we dined in the bar.

Although we weren’t aware of this before we arrived, it wasn’t actually disappointing at all as the bar area was very attractive, just slightly less formal than the main restaurant.  In fact I’d recommend guests staying two nights or more to dine in both areas.  Our server for the evening was Andra who looked after us extremely well and was attentive to our needs.  The Table D’Hote menu changes daily and is reasonably priced at £22.95 for two and £29.95 for three courses.  Wines are available by the glass or bottle and also offer good value.  Over glasses of Pinot Grigio and Merlot we studied the menu and our starters of smoked salmon, and king prawns with chorizo tasted fresh and flavoursome.  Moving on to mains, Mr. C. kept with his fish theme opting for loin of cod in a mustard cream sauce whilst I tucked into saffron chicken served on a bed of couscous.  Again, these were both beautifully plated and tasted as good as they looked.

After a short rest we were ready to tackle desserts and as I’m a big fan of crème brûlée I quickly decided on that, this one being infused with Grand Marnier and tasting delectable.  Across the table, sticky toffee pudding with honeycomb ice cream and toffee sauce disappeared before I had a chance to sample a spoonful and was also declared delicious.

Breakfast was also served in the bar area which worked well with pastries, fresh fruit, juices and yoghurts available for self selection from the bar top.

I adore a cooked breakfast when I’m staying in hotels and the full English at Falcon Manor didn’t disappoint as it was cooked to perfection.

We rounded off our breakfast with slices of thick toast with lashings of butter and marmalade and after a second cup of coffee and a friendly chat with guests sitting at a neighbouring table, we were ready to start the day.

The Facilities:

The hotel has 14 classic rooms all beautifully designed with individual touches and a further three decadent suites ideal for honeymoon couples or other special occasions.  Please note that due to the age of the building there isn’t a lift so guests will need to use the stairs to access the first floor rooms.

There’s a very attractive lounge with comfortable armchairs to relax in where you can browse the complimentary daily newspapers and glossy magazines or partake of a delicious afternoon tea.

The bar has a convivial atmosphere serving a range of wines, spirits and beers including the hotel group’s own Bowland beers with their wonderful names such as Pheasant Plucker and Hen Harrier.

With the grandeur of the building and the opportunity for wedding celebrations either indoors or out in the beautiful grounds, Falcon Manor has become a sought after wedding venue.  It was recently awarded the accolade of Hotel Wedding Venue regional winner at the Wedding Industry Awards 2023.

Wi-Fi worked strongly throughout the building without needing to be re-connected and although located in the heart of the countryside we had a good phone signal.  Dogs are welcome in several of the rooms and I spotted a biscuit jar in the lobby especially for well behaved furry friends.

Out and About:

The Yorkshire Dales National Park is wonderful walking country with the hotel being the perfect base for climbing one or more of The Three Peaks.  Below are my suggestions for more leisurely things to see and do in the area.

Settle  

Start with a short walk into the charming small market town of Settle which is surrounded by towering fells.  Enjoy a coffee in Ye Olde Naked Man along the high street and if you happen to be in town on a Tuesday you can browse the weekly market.

Folly Museum of North Craven Life

Just off the market square stands the Folly Museum of North Craven Life.  The impressive building was constructed in 1670 for a wealthy local lawyer and over the years it has had many owners and uses.

The museum is open 11.00 – 4.00 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday with free admission.  The galleries are arranged on two floors and tell the story of local people and the dales landscape in which they lived.

Settle-Carlisle Railway – The town is situated on one end of the picturesque Settle-Carlisle railway which has been voted as one of the UK’s most scenic rail journeys with occasional steam excursions running on the line during the summer months.

The Settle Station Signal Box is now run as a small working museum and is dedicated to mechanical era railway signalling and welcomes visitors each Saturday between 10.00 – 4.00 p.m. (admission free).

Ribblehead Viaduct

Enjoy a walk around the famous Grade II listed impressive viaduct which carries the Settle to Carlisle railway across Batty Moss in the valley of the River Ribble.

Visitors leave their cars in the car park just to the south of the viaduct, off the B6255.  You can also visit by catching a train from Settle station to Ribblehead.

It’s an interesting little station with a small shop selling memorabilia and a visitor centre which includes exhibits about the history of the line and the fight to keep it open.  After your walk you can enjoy refreshments at the Station Inn, a traditional Dales pub overlooking the viaduct.  Six miles from there is the picturesque Dales village of Horton-in-Ribblesdale which is also pleasant for a stroll.

Giggleswick School 

Drive to the neighbouring village of Giggleswick a mile from Settle to visit  the chapel at Giggleswick School.  The school was built in 1512 and received its Royal Charter from King Edward VI in 1553 and is now a co-educational boarding school.  Visitors are welcome to visit the school’s ornate chapel by pre-arrangement with the school.

The ornate chapel was designed as a Gothic structure with a dome decorated with mosaics depicting angels playing musical instruments.

No expense was spared fitting out the sumptuous interior with its marble floors, silver altar and pews made from imported Cypress wood.  If you are in the vicinity, I highly recommend taking a look around.

Courtyard Dairy

Head to the Courtyard Dairy, located north west of Settle along the A65.  This specialist cheese shop and cheese maturer champions small independent farmers and is a must for cheese lovers.

It has won many accolades including Cheesemonger of the Year in the World Cheese Awards as well as been included in The Times newspaper’s top 15 cheese shops in the country.  There’s a vast array of cheese on offer which is all hand made and then aged to perfection in the maturing rooms of the dairy.  Enjoy some tastings and then buy some cheese to take back home.

Clapham 

This picturesque village is also close by and a delightful place for a wander.  A beck runs through the centre of the village which is crossed by a series of old stone bridges.

Stone cottages with slate roofs sit huddled together on each bank and are built from similar stone, with most of the properties dating from the 18th century.  The village is located at the foot of Ingleborough, one of Yorkshire’s Three Peaks and is a popular starting point for its ascent.

Ingleborough Cave

Whilst visiting Clapham, take an opportunity to visit Ingleborough Cave.  Tours of the cave run on the hour and last 60 minutes with adult admission costing £13 including the nature trail.

The cave follows a trail of 500m along well laid concrete paths which are floodlit for ease of access.  It’s necessary to stoop along two sections but being small has its advantages as I only had to bend down slightly.

Our tour guide stopped at various points in the dramatic show cave pointing out numerous features of stalagmite formations, and where stalagmites and stalactites have joined to form a pillar.

Overall:

Our stay at Falcon Manor was an absolute delight from arrival to departure with friendly staff, a gorgeous room and delicious food.  The hotel’s grandeur is stunning and we felt very pampered with its old world charm.

You might think it could be very formal and stuffy but it’s not like that at all as the Falcon have managed to create the perfect balance for a relaxing stay.

Details: Falcon Manor, Skipton Road, Settle, North Yorkshire, BD24 9BD.

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The Yorkshire Dales villages of Kilnsey & Kettlewell

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During our stay we were guests of the Falcon Manor and as always, all views and opinions are entirely my own.